Member Avatar for Dragennd

Hello all. I have a question about running the sound from my xbox through my pc to use in my Logitech G430 Headset. I'm not sure if my theory will work with the parts I have in mind and I could use some advice. I've been considering using this sound card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829128009 and running this SPDIF/3.5mm cable http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882203092 to the card I posted above from my xbox. Does anyone know if this setup will work or perhaps if there is a better way?

Thanks in advanced,
zoidmaster

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Short checklist and practical fixes for (and thanks to for the SP/DIF-IN pointer).

The usual causes when a console optical/coax feed gives no sound to a PC are: a connector-type mismatch (Toslink optical vs coax RCA vs the 3.5mm "mini‑Toslink" that looks like a headphone plug), and/or the Xbox sending a compressed bitstream (Dolby/DTS) that the receiving device won't decode. S/PDIF exists in optical and coaxial forms, and the mini‑Toslink 3.5mm optical jack is common — don’t assume a 3.5mm-looking plug is analog. (en.wikipedia.org)

What to try, step by step:

  1. Verify the cable and jacks. Optical/Toslink connectors are plastic/transparent (square or hollow 3.5mm tip). Coax is an RCA (orange) or BNC style. If you have a 3.5mm plug, confirm it’s mini‑Toslink (optical) and not a stereo analog plug. (en.wikipedia.org)

  2. Confirm the Xbox audio output is set to stereo/PCM (not bitstream) while you test. If the console is outputting Dolby/DTS bitstream, a cheap USB card that cannot decode AC3 will be silent. Change the Xbox Digital/Optical output to Stereo Uncompressed (PCM) for testing. (support.xbox.com)

  3. Check the USB sound device itself. Read its spec sheet or Device Manager: many small USB dongles do not provide SPDIF IN (only OUT) or do not expose a digital input to Windows. If no SPDIF input shows on the Recording tab, the device likely can’t be used as an optical input.

  4. Quick workarounds: use a dedicated optical-to-USB recorder or a digital-to-analog SPDIF decoder (Toslink in -> analog L/R out) so you can feed the PC line‑in. Small USB optical converters exist and present an input device to Windows — that route is often the simplest. Also note the Logitech G430 can be driven from PC analog/USB adapter, so once the PC has audio you can route/playback to the G430. (hifimediy.com)

If the port looks right but still no sound: swap cables, test the Xbox optical on a receiver or a known working device, reinstall the USB audio drivers, then use Windows Sound Control Panel -> Recording -> Properties -> Listen (or a routing tool like Voicemeeter) to send the input to the G430. That process isolates whether the problem is cable, console format, or the USB card.

Member Avatar for Patrick_3

Hi! I think your basic idea is fine however there may be a few snags in the hardware you have chosen. I looked at the specs for the audio card you looked at, however I am not sure that there is SPIDIF IN on the card, only OUT. You can either not use SPIDIF, which will still have surround sound and sound basically as good, or you can look for a card which supports SPIDIF in. I have a Sound Blaster XFI HD http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-digital-music-premium-hd which has SPIDIF in however it is a little pricey. The plus side is you can use it in a laptop since it is USB.

Other than this, your setup should work. Hope this helps!

Member Avatar for Dragennd

I ended up getting this cause it is a usb based card and it would seem to work but no sound comes through it at all. Is there any reason the spdif out from my xbox 360 wouldnt work in the spdif in slot on this card? I have gone over everything I can think of and I'm really hoping I'm just overlooking something here.

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